SUGARLOAF TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A proposed PPL power line project near Hazleton, Luzerne County, has many residents fired up.
Many of them reached out to the I-Team, saying they have received little to no information about the project, which they say will destroy their quality of life.
"I would like PPL to respect the valley and respect the people of this valley," said Sugarloaf Township resident John Zola.
Zola makes that appeal to PPL Electric Utilities as a proposed power line project in the Sugarloaf-Conyngham Valley area moves forward.
PPL is planning to build high-power transmission lines through the valley and into the Hazleton area to boost energy for future business expansions.
But residents like Zola and Garth Book say the first time they heard about the project was when someone knocked at their door, telling them that some of their properties may be impacted or possibly needed for the project.
"A big concern for everyone is their property values. You know your home is your biggest investment. So now your home is worth roughly half of what it should be, right, and to no benefit to that property owner," Zola added.
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"Do we want a valley to have continuous one after another, everywhere, one or two miles, 500 kV penetrating our valley?" Book asked.
A PPL spokesperson sent a statement about the project to the I-Team:
PPL Electric Utilities is planning to build approximately 12 miles of new 500 kV transmission line as well as two new switchyards in Luzerne County. To minimize community impact, the project will utilize an existing right-of-way corridor that will be expanded to accommodate the new transmission line. The new facilities and transmission lines are needed to provide additional power to the area to support future load growth due to business expansion. In this region, we expect load to grow by 1600% by 2030. This project will create additional capacity to accommodate for future demand on the transmission system while still allowing us to deliver reliable power to customers in this region and beyond. This project is part of a broader effort to modernize the electric grid and support the integration of cleaner, renewable energy sources like solar and wind. It would position the region as a forward-thinking, sustainable area for business investment, which can attract environmentally conscious companies that align their operations with sustainability goals.The project is currently in the planning and design phases, which includes widening our existing right-of-way and engineering work. As always, we’re committed to keeping affected landowners and communities informed throughout each step of the project. We continue to work directly with landowners and stakeholders to address questions and concerns. In addition, we will host an informational open house on Wednesday, April 30, at the Valley Country Club located at 79 Country Club Lane, Sugarloaf, PA 18249, to share more details about this project and answer questions. Input received at the open house will be considered during project planning.
PPL
State Representative Jamie Walsh is working with residents to get more information about the project.
"Because out of no information coming out ahead of time, people are really upset, they are really upset it came out of nowhere," Walsh explained.
Residents say they are also concerned about their health with high power lines so close to their properties.
They formed a group to fight the plan called the Alliance to Stop the Line.
PPL will hold a public information meeting on this power line project on April 30 at the Valley Country Club in Conyngham.
